Wadhwani AI and AIIMS’ MadhuNetrAI Wins Top Recognition at India AI Impact Summit 2026 Under “AI for ALL: Global Impact Challenge”-Press Release

New Delhi, India | 19th February 2026: Wadhwani AI, in collaboration with AIIMS New Delhi, today announced that its AI-powered diabetic retinopathy screening solution, MadhuNetrAI, has won the “AI for ALL: Global Impact Challenge” at the prestigious India AI Impact Summit 2026.

The AI for ALL Global Impact Challenge attracted over 4,600 applications from more than 60 countries, recognising scalable, high-impact artificial intelligence solutions addressing critical societal challenges. MadhuNetrAI was recognised for its demonstrated ability to strengthen early detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR) within India’s public healthcare system and for its real-world deployment in collaboration with leading public institutions.

India faces one of the world’s largest diabetes burdens, with over 101 million people living with the condition. Diabetic retinopathy remains a leading cause of preventable blindness, particularly when screening is delayed or specialist access is limited. MadhuNetrAI directly addresses this gap by enabling AI-assisted analysis of retinal fundus images to classify DR severity and identify patients requiring timely referral and intervention.

Developed by Wadhwani AI in collaboration with AIIMS Delhi and under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the solution has been clinically validated and designed specifically for deployment within public health settings. It supports frontline healthcare providers, including optometrists, nurses, and community health officers, by assisting with image assessment, standardising grading based on internationally recognised benchmarks, and triaging referable cases. Importantly, the solution enables community based screenings even in under resources environments where specialist ophthalmologists may not be readily available.

To date, MadhuNetrAI has processed approximately 20,000 retinal images and supported screening of over 10,000 patients across 40 facilities spanning 21 districts in 11 states. The system has identified more than 3,000 referable cases and flagged over 1,000 instances of vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy requiring urgent attention, thereby helping reduce the risk of irreversible vision loss through earlier intervention.

Commenting on the recognition, Doctor from AIIMs, associated with the project said, “.Eye Specialists from R P Center of Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS Delhi  associated with the project said, “From a clinical standpoint, the strength of MadhuNetrAI lies in its ability to support early detection and consistent grading at scale. When integrated thoughtfully into screening workflows, AI can enhance efficiency without compromising clinical standards, allowing specialists to focus on patients who need urgent intervention.”

Adding to this, Vipin Garg, National Program Lead (Health, Wadhwani AI) from Wadhwani AI said, “MadhuNetrAI is ready for scaled deployment, and our next step is deeper integration with national NCD screening frameworks under MoHFW. We are committed to ensuring no Indian living with diabetes loses their sight to a condition that is preventable.”

The recognition at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 underscores India’s growing leadership in building AI solutions that are clinically validated, ethically designed, and deployable at scale across public systems. It reinforces the potential of collaboration among technology institutions (AI for Social Impact) premier medical bodies and the government to address systemic healthcare challenges through innovation and prevent valuable assets. 

About Wadhwani AI

Wadhwani AI is a cross-domain, Indian not-for-profit institute, developing and deploying AI solutions with a mission to create impact at scale and improve lives and livelihoods. The organization works with governments and cross-sectoral partners to build trusted and responsible last-mile solutions that strengthen India’s core development indicators across agriculture, health, and education. Using datasets that reflect India’s varied and rich population matrix, supported by engineering, program, and domain expertise, MEL and user design experience, Wadhwani AI makes technology accessible and available to local communities and individuals, helping drive equity and impact where it matters most.

For further information, please contact:

Nishtha Gorke, nishtha@wadhwaniai.org